Projectile.



C. N. BENNETT.

PRDJECTILE' APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25. 19: 1.

1,285,599. Patented Nov. 26, 1918.

INVENTOI? @z/Qtnesa; C N BENNETT a. $46M. JMQJ A TTORIVEKS CHARLES H. BENNETT, 0F PACIFIC GROVE, CALIFORNIA.

PROJEC'I'ILE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 26, 1918.

Application filed September 25, 1917. Serial No. 193,073.

To all "whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES N. BENNETT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pacific Grove, Monterey county, State of California, have invented a certain new and useful Projectile, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to projectiles adapted to be discharged from the barrel of a gun by a charge of explosive.

An object of the invention is to obviate the necessity of rifling a gun barrel.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a projectile having means for imparting a rotary motion thereto on firing.

The invention possesses other advantageous features, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth at length, in the followin description where I shall outline in full that form of the invention which I have selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification. In said drawings I have shown one specific form of my invention and a modification thereof, but it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to such forms, since the invention as expressed in the claims may be embodied in a plurality of forms.

Referring to said drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a loaded cartridge provided with the projectile of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the disassembled projectile.

Fig. 3 is a rear end View of the projectile.

Fig. 4 is a side View of a modified form of projectile.

It is considered essential to impart rotation about its axis to a projectile as it is fired and this has heretofore been accomplished by rifling the gun barrel and providing the projectile with a band of soft metal which engages the rifling and spins the projectile as it passes through the barrel. The efiicient life of the gun is determined by the life of the rifling,which is comparatively short. In accordance with my invention, I employ a smooth bore barrel, so that the life of the gun is greatly increased and provide the projectile with means for imparting a rotary motion thereto as it is fired from the gun. The projectile may be formed as a solid shot or as a shell and while primarily adapted for use with fixed annnunition. may be used in the larger sizes with bulk explosive.

In accordance with my invention, I provide the projectile 2 with one or more chamhere, but preferably an even number, which open at the rear end of the projectile at an angle to the horizontal axis of the projectile. In the drawing, the projectile is provided With two diametrically spaced chambers, formed in the shape of helical grooves 3, but they may be straight at their forward ends and helical only at the rear end when so desired. These grooves or chambers are filled with an explosive charge 4 which burns during the passage of the projectile through the gun barrel and the reaction of the gases of explosion issuing from the rear inclined ends of the grooves ,imparts a rotary motion to the projectile.

When employed in connection with fixed ammunition, the grooved portion of the projectile extends into the shell case 5, placing the explosive charge 3 in communication with the propelling charge 6 so that when the cartridge is fired, both charges are ignited. The charge in the grooves will also assist in propelling the projectile.

The grooves 3 may be formed on the surface of the projectile as shown in Fig. 4, or may be formed within the projectile as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. In this latter construction the body portion 7 of the shell in which the grooves are formed is of reduced diameter, and the grooves are inclosed on the sides by a jacket 8, of the diameter of the head of the shell, which engages a screw thread 9 formed on the reduced portion, This construction is perhaps preferable, since the grooves are-inclosed and will not retard the flight of the projectile through the air.

I claim:

1. A projectile having a head, a reduced body portion having helical grooves formed therein and o ening at the rear of the projectile and a acket of the same diameter as the head surrounding said reduced body portion.

2. A projectile having a head, a reduced body portion having grooves formed therein In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set and opening at the rear of the pro'ectile at my hand at San Francisco, (3:11., this 12th all: anglef to tlhemds of {she pro ectilei a day of September, 1917.

c arge 0 exp osive 1n sal grooves an a jacket of the same diameter as the head se- BENNETT cured to and surrounding said body portion In presence of and closing said grooves on their outer sides. H. G. Pnos'r.

Copies of thin patent may be obtained for flve cents each, by addressing the "Oomminlnner 0t Patentl, Washington, D. 0." 

